Sr. Director Infrastructure

Excelsior University is seeking a visionary and results-driven Senior Director of Infrastructure & Operations to lead and transform the university’s technology foundation during a period of growth and expansion. This executive-level leader will provide strategic direction and oversight for all infrastructure and operations services, including network and telecom, cloud and hosting environments, end-user computing and collaboration, enterprise application support (ERP and other systems), and IT operations. The Senior Director will play a critical role in enabling the university’s expansion to hybrid sites and integrating acquired technology platforms while ensuring infrastructure is scalable, resilient, secure, and future-ready. The role emphasizes proactive, data-driven, and business-oriented leadership, leveraging industry best practices, ITIL frameworks, agile methodologies, and continuous improvement principles. This leader will balance solidifying operational fundamentals with driving innovation, AI-driven automation, and advanced analytics to optimize performance, reduce risk, and elevate team maturity. The role is also required to build and sustain a high-performing team aligned with Excelsior University’s mission, values, and culture. The ideal candidate will possess substantial hands-on experience leading infrastructure integration during mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. This includes planning and executing the seamless integration/consolidation of IT systems, networks, data centers, cloud environments, and security frameworks while minimizing operational disruption. The candidate must demonstrate a proven ability to assess the technical landscape of involved entities, identify integration risks, develop comprehensive roadmaps, and deliver results within established timelines and budgets. Strong change management expertise and the ability to balance speed with operational stability are critical. This is a full-time hybrid role with a minimum of two required days at Excelsior's home office of 7 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY, with the remainder of the days worked from home. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Vision Develop and articulate a comprehensive infrastructure strategy aligned with the university’s growth, digital transformation initiatives, and mission-critical priorities. Lead architecture, design, and implementation of scalable, secure, and resilient infrastructure solutions across campuses, hybrid sites, and cloud environments. Continuously evaluate emerging technologies, trends, and vendors, with a focus on leveraging AI, machine learning, and automation to optimize operations and service delivery. Develop long-term infrastructure roadmaps, including budgeting, resource planning, and risk management. Drive transformative change through proactive planning, measurable outcomes, and continuous improvement. Cloud Transformation & Hybrid Environments Accelerate and optimize the university’s cloud adoption strategy (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), integrating on-premise and cloud resources efficiently. Implement cloud-native principles, containerization, and serverless architectures where appropriate. Manage strategic relationships with cloud providers, ensuring alignment with university needs, cost optimization, and security compliance. Network & Connectivity Oversee the design, implementation, and management of secure, high-performance networks supporting all campuses, hybrid sites, and remote users. Implement software-defined networking (SDN), network virtualization, and other advanced networking practices to optimize connectivity, performance, and scalability. Ensure robust LAN/WAN, Wi-Fi, and private network performance to support academic and administrative operations. Data Center & Edge Computing Strategically manage and optimize data center footprints, including modernization and consolidation initiatives. Develop and implement edge computing strategies to meet real-time operational and academic technology needs. Ensure infrastructure aligns with institutional goals for efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability. Cybersecurity & Resilience Collaborate closely with the CISO to embed security into all infrastructure services and operations. Ensure disaster recovery, business continuity, and high availability strategies are robust and operationally effective. Leverage AI and predictive analytics for threat detection, risk mitigation, and proactive incident prevention. Operational Excellence, Automation & AI Innovation Drive operational efficiency through Infrastructure as Code (IaC), orchestration, AI-driven operations (AIOps), and predictive analytics. Establish and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and performance trends to ensure proactive, measurable service management. Introduce innovative solutions that reduce operational toil, accelerate incident resolution, and improve service quality, while maintaining rigorous core operational standards. Implement robust monitoring, alerting, and incident response processes grounded in industry best practices. Team Leadership & Development Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of infrastructure architects, engineers, and operations specialists. Foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and operational rigor. Manage vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and partnerships with technology providers. Collaboration & Stakeholder Management Partner with other ITS leaders (CIO, CISO, Applications, BI, Help Desk, Web Services) and university stakeholders to align infrastructure services with institutional priorities. Communicate complex technical concepts and strategies clearly to non-technical audiences and executive leadership. Support institutional initiatives by projecting impact, enabling informed decision-making, and ensuring operational readiness. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred. Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in infrastructure, cloud, and operations management. Demonstrated success in building high-performing, proactive, and forward-looking teams aligned with institutional mission and culture. Proven experience in implementing ITIL-based service management, agile practices, and continuous improvement initiatives. Deep technical expertise across hybrid/multi-cloud environments, enterprise networking, end-user computing, storage, compute, and application support. Experience in leveraging AI, machine learning, or analytics to improve operational efficiency, reliability, and performance. Track record of leading complex technology transformations, including cloud adoption, data center modernization, and network optimization. Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, resource planning, and vendor management. Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills. Experience in higher education or similarly complex, mission-driven organizations. Experience leading technology integration following mergers, acquisitions, or multi-site expansions. Knowledge of regulatory and accreditation requirements (FERPA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR). Demonstrated success in leading data-driven operations and infrastructure modernization initiatives. Key Competencies Visionary Leadership: Anticipates future needs, develops strategy, and guides infrastructure forward. Transformational Change Agent: Drives modernization, operational excellence, and measurable outcomes. Innovation & AI Expertise: Applies AI, automation, and analytics to improve infrastructure performance while maintaining operational fundamentals. Business & Customer Orientation: Aligns technology solutions with institutional priorities, ensuring user impact is positive and measurable. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Uses metrics, analytics, and trend data to guide strategic and operational decisions. Collaboration & Influence: Builds alignment across IT functions and institutional stakeholders. The hiring salary range for this position is $120,000.00 - $135,000.00. The hiring salary range above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting